Government Shutdown Already Taking a Toll On Small Businesses

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Small businesses are beginning to feel the effects of the government shutdown, in terms of lost revenues and disappointed customers. Bindlestiff Tours, a Las Vegas based touring company which provides adventure tours for small groups to National Parks in the southwest United States, is already feeling the effects of the shutdown through a loss of nearly one-third of its typical bookings, as well as the revenues associated.

Bindlestiff Tours

Most other tour companies have completely closed their doors during this time and offered refunds to people. We have been able to find some creative solutions

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB)October 05, 2013

Bindlestiff Tours operates from its home-base in Las Vegas to provide unique “adventure-tour” services to visitors and tourists from both the United States and the world through their website. Very popular with foreign visitors from Europe and stretching as far as Sri Lanka and India, Bindlestiff Tours provides an exciting take on tourism activities, allowing patrons to experience some of America’s most beautiful and scenic National Parks in a fully interactive way, instead of simply seeing the sights through a bus window. What makes the tours different is the direct interaction with elements of the parks, from walking through scenic areas on scheduled stops to camping on overnight tours to fully experiencing the culture of the natives on multi-day experiences. These types of tours have been halted during the government shutdown as National Parks have been closed to visitors due to staffing furloughs and service stoppages. The National Parks Services are one of the hardest hit areas of government during a shutdown, as the staff is perceived as “non-essential” for emergencies. When the parks are closed, the tours come to a halt as access is restricted.

“We are showing a reduction in bookings of about one-third our typical volume,” said Rachel Frampton, owner of Bindlestiff Tours. “Most other tour companies have completely closed their doors during this time and offered refunds to people. We have been able to find some creative solutions to the fact that Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon are closed to everyone. Even though the scenic drive through Zion is still open, we are not allowed to get out of the vehicle, which is really the mainstay of our business. While refunds are an option to customers if necessary, we have gone to great lengths to create alternative tour options featuring Snow Canyon, Monument Valley, Lake Powell and other areas that are on native land or allow us the access that our patrons have come to know us by. We have been in contact with those who have had tours affected by the shutdown, and we will continue to attempt to provide high-quality alternatives for as long as this situation continues.”

Ms. Frampton noted that while the majority of Bindlestiff Tours patrons have been happy to accept an alternative tour as opposed to having no option to see the beauty of the American southwest during their trips to this country, many have voiced their disappointment that the government has taken what may be a “once-in-a-lifetime” tour from them, as they are from overseas and cannot visit the United States very often. “These trips can cost a tourist thousands of dollars, and you can understand how disappointing it would be to find out that our parks are closed after preparing and booking your trip. While we can try our best to keep our visitors happy, we expect that this shutdown will have a significant, negative effect on our revenues over time. We just want the parks to open again so that we can show both Americans and foreign visitors the beauty this country holds.”

About Bindlestiff Tours

Bindlestiff Tours is a leading “small group” adventure touring company, based in Las Vegas and providing guided tours to select locations throughout the southwest United States. Tours are interactive and allow visitors to experience the locations on a personal level, with the assistance of a knowledgeable guide. Tours are provided for groups varying in size from large, multi-person tours to completely private, customized experiences created specifically to the tastes of the group. For more information, please visit http://www.BindlestiffTours.com.